Romney 2012: He'll Bring Sexy Back

The Republican Party’s lack of a definitive candidate at the beginning of the nomination race prompted a scramble for the “most-like-Reagan award,” as each candidate tried to liken himself to the conservative icon.  It has been interesting to follow Mitt Romney’s progression from his earlier, more liberal positions (like his 1980s abortion and same-sex marriage policies) to his current, extremely “Reaganite” rhetoric.  Of the Republican candidates, Romney has stood on one of the most conservative platforms, but perhaps the most interesting question of all is whether or not Mitt Romney’s recent step-down has been his most Reagan-like action yet.

Rewind to 1976.  Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford for the Republican Party’s presidential candidacy.  Although Reagan gained a considerable following as the clearly more conservative option, Ford snagged the nomination as the moderate Republican (McCain parallel, anyone?).  In Reagan’s concession speech, he focused on the threat of nuclear war and the dangerous influence of the Soviet Union. 
Following that speech, even though he had lost the nomination, he received 307 write-in votes in New Hampshire, 388 votes as an Independent on Wyoming's ballot, and a single electoral vote from a Washington State faithless elector in the November election.  Ford went on to lose the 1976 presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter, and Reagan used Carter’s four years in office to begin building conservative support.  Carter, in turn, became extremely unpopular (mostly due to his deplorable response to the Iran hostage crisis), and while he received the Democratic nomination in 1980, lost 49 to 489 electoral votes to Ronald Reagan. 

Fast forward to the present day.  McCain is up for the Republican nomination, and it could still be Hillary or Obama for the Democrats.  No matter how the cookie crumbles, however, there will not be a conservative Republican in the White House in the next four years, giving Mitt Romney ample opportunity to further build up his conservative base. 

Even Romney’s concession speech had echoes of Reagan circa 1976.  He bowed out tactfully and charmingly—indeed it was arguably one of his most personable speeches to date.  He refrained from self-centered rhetoric, and instead promoted his devotion to conservatives and furthered his image as a man of ideals rather than a man of ambition.  “If this were about me,” he said, “I’d go on.” But he made sure to not make it about him. Much like Reagan’s talk of nuclear war, Romney focused on the dangers of terrorism and the need to band together and defeat Hillary and Obama.  That, he said, was more important than being president.

While Romney’s concession was essentially an endorsement of McCain (his focus on the threat of terrorism echoed McCain’s), he made sure to fervently profess where he differed from McCain—in his strong conservative principles.  He emphasized the importance of social conservative values, saying, “These values and beliefs of free American people are the source of the nation's strength, and they always will be.”  He also called for lower taxes, and said to “get out that weed whacker and take it to regulations and reform entitlements.”  And, of course, he spoke out vehemently against terrorism and Islamic extremism, mentioning Putin, Chavez, and Ahmadinejad.  He also urged his supporters to, “Fight on, just like Ronald Reagan did in 1976.”

It’s unfortunate that Mitt Romney was most likable as he was conceding his candidacy, but there’s little doubt that we’ll see him again—and probably in four years.  Romney’s speech was warm, eloquent, and succeeded in establishing him as a prominent conservative voice for people to remember.  And, with support like National Review and Laura Ingraham calling him the “conservative’s conservative,” his following should only continue to grow.  Now, whether or not Mitt Romney is another Ronald Reagan is certainly up for debate, but the campaign parallels are nevertheless interesting to note.  And it’s clear that Romney, at least, is trying to follow Reagan’s 1976 example.  As he said in his concession speech, “It’s great to be with you again. And I look forward to joining with you many more times in the future.”